It is often desirable or necessary to secure a patient's eye in place during ocular surgery. For example, it is possible to restore the accommodative power to a presbyopic eye by implanting scleral prostheses within the sclera of the patient's eye. It is also possible to treat glaucoma, ocular hypertension, elevated intraocular pressure, or other eye disorders by implanting scleral prostheses within the sclera of the patient's eye. During these types of procedures, an incision can be made in the sclera of the eye and extended under the surface of the sclera to form a scleral “tunnel.” A scleral prosthesis can then be placed within the tunnel. Before performing a surgical procedure to implant scleral prostheses or other surgical eye procedure, the patient's eye often needs to be fixated so that the patient's eye does not move during the surgical procedure.
FIGS. 16A and 16B illustrate a conventional ocular fixation tool. This ocular fixation tool is placed on the surface of a patient's eye and is physically sutured to the sclera of the patient's eye. This ocular fixation tool includes various notches in which a surgical tool can be placed.
FIG. 17 illustrates a second conventional ocular fixation tool having a solid ring with spikes (not shown) that can be depressed into the tissue of a patient's eye. This ocular fixation tool also includes a handle rotatably coupled to the solid ring, where the handle can be used to move and position the tool. In addition, this ocular fixation tool includes a projection from the solid ring, where a surgical tool can be mounted on the projection.
FIGS. 18A and 18B illustrate a third conventional ocular fixation tool having a handle, a solid ring, and two rotatable arms. The solid ring is rotatably coupled to the handle. The two rotatable arms are coupled to or mounted on the solid ring at a common pivot point. As shown in FIG. 18A, the two rotatable arms are in the open position, and the solid ring may be placed in a desired location on a patient's eye. As shown in FIG. 18B, the two rotatable arms can then be closed, which drives prongs or other extensions on the arms into the tissue of the patient's eye. After that, the handle can be rotated sideways so that a surgeon or tool has clear access to the patient's eye through the rings. In other embodiments, the handle and the solid ring can be omitted, and the two rotatable arms could be used by themselves (the arms can be closed and opened to lock onto and release a patient's ocular tissue). In still other embodiments, the two rotatable arms could lack prongs or other extensions themselves, and the arms could be used to drive pins or other extensions on the solid ring into a patient's ocular tissue.